Configuring "NTP Stratum Synchronization"

NTP Stratum Synchronization refers to the concept of using a different NTP Server or Peer as your primary reference (instead of e.g., GNSS). This will make the NetClock you are configuring a Stratum 2 server, since the other server is Stratum 1.

To configure Stratum 2 (or greater) operation for NetClock:

Navigate to MANAGEMENT > NETWORK: NTP Setup:

Click the GEAR icon in the NTP Services panel.

The Edit NTP Services window will display. Click the Stratum 1 tab.

Check the first of the three options, and uncheck the latter two:

Enable Stratum 1 Operation

When the checkbox Prefer Stratum 1 is unchecked, the input from a different NTP Server or Peer will normally be used at all times.

Uncheck this option to prevent NetClock's NTP service from “weighing” the Timing System input heavier than input from other NTP servers. Thus, during normal operation, the time provided by the external Stratum 1 NTP server will be used (unless its quality is determined to be low).

Note: If enabled, this function would give GPS additional “weight” for NTP to select the GNSS input over other NTP Servers.

Enable Stratum 1 1PPS

Uncheck this option to prevent NTP from using the 1PPS input from the Timing System, but instead use the 1PPS signal from another NTP server. This will ensure the time signal and the 1PPS signal to correlate, which tends to result in better NTP performance.